Into the wintery weather.

A major change in the weather from the relatively mild sunny days into a bitter east wind with added rain! I opted out of riding on Tuesday, a lot of my pals did too but some brave souls did venture out. I hope they had good protective clothing.

I went out on a drier day on Thursday 22nd November, but it was very chilly and I was glad I'd added an extra layer. 

Since Thursday I have been quite busy with family matters and on Saturday it was a choice between a damp ride or an afternoon of watching the autumn international rugby matches. Guess which I chose?
Three very entertaining matches all won by the home nations, well-done guys.

Hope the weather is more friendly this week. Thursday is our HCMF annual festive lunch so I plan to ride there if the weather permits, no other firm plans at present.

Gridironman.

Whoops! A couple of unwelcome firsts for Txiki!

Quite a week. On Tuesday I rode with the Pedallers. Unfortunately, not everything went according to plan. Luckily the plans for Thursday riding to the HCMF meet and on Saturday riding with Paddy were fulfilled very happily without any problems.

Tuesday 13th November 2018.

I rode alone to Crawley Pond where I met with the 10 other Pedallers. There was a lot of interest in Txiki and questions about range weight cost etc. 

Crawley Pond Reflections.

We soon set off down the gentle slope to Kings Somborne with my E-power turned off but as soon as we got to Bossington and the climb up the Old Roman Road I needed it. I was by no means the first up the hill with the younger and stronger riders easily leading the way, I was however comfortably keeping up with only the lowest level of assistance and some of the time with none.

 Karen had planned an interesting way to the Apache Cafe at The Army Flying Museum, Nether Wallop. However, just after crossing the A30 and 3 miles short of our planned stop I had a flat front tyre. Bill stopped to help me. He couldn't get the tyre off the rim so we phoned Graham and he came back to help. Eventually, with his help and after a phone call to the E-Bikeshop where I had bought Txiki, we managed to complete the job. It was lucky I was not on my own or I'd have had to phone my rescue service. 

To add to my woes I managed to tumble off Txiki at the next crossroads when I could not get my foot down quickly enough when I did an emergency stop to avoid a collision with a car. Apart from a small scuff on the handlebar end and a sore elbow, there was no damage.

After our refreshment stop we headed back to CP via Stockbridge and Kings Somborne. The group split in two soon after KS with four returning to their homes via Farley Mount while the rest continued to CP. Here I refused a lift home with Graham and carried on on my own. It was a good day despite my misfortunes, thanks to Bill and Graham. 

Thursday 15th November 2018.

With none of the Groupetta available I rode to join the HCMF meet on my own. It was another mild day and it was an enjoyable ride to the pub with still plenty of colour in the hedgerows. I went via Owslebury, Bishops Waltham and Swanmore.

Saturday 17th November 2018.

A gentle E-bike ride on a glorious winter's day.

As usual, the descent of Stoner Hill was great fun. Txiki's disc brakes work well.

When recording my rides on Strava I distinguish my E-Bike rides from my others which means I still have PBs to aim for when riding Paris and Posh. The PBs for E-bikes are really not very useful except for comparing one's own progress. There are only a few segments set up for E-Bikes so far.

I was pleased to have reached my (twice revised) annual target with a few weeks to spare. I am now closing on the total miles since becoming a borne again cyclist towards the 45,000 mile mark (at present 44,173).

Gridironman.

New Forest Ride with Winchester CTC.

Over the past week, I only had time for one ride in the week before popping off to see friends in Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridge. As they are not active cyclists I did not take a bike this time but have been invited to do so another time!

Tuesday November 6th.

The case of the missing gloves!

Happily, the case of the missing gloves has now been solved, I wasn't going potty after all. Ian discovered they were in his bag! Now I need to collect them from Ian and return Sarah B.'s to her. 

Gridironman.

Two E-Bike Rides.

The time seems to have flown by since I bought Txiki on October 12th. Since then I have had six rides on him totalling 281 miles. It has been a very interesting experience and I have gained enough knowledge to know how best to make use of the available assistance. Txiki is designed to provide enough assistance without completely taking away the effort of the rider. The way it has worked for me has been just what I had hoped. I can also judge when planning a ride which of my three bikes to ride depending on the expected speed and the type of climbing to be encountered.

Both rides this week have been over 50 miles and both riding with the Winchester CTC. They were very similar but one was a little faster over more hills so I needed assistance more often. This shows clearly in the amount of assistance used.

Here are the details:-

Tuesday 30th October 

Saturday 3rd November.

Once again we have been lucky with the weather. Both rides were in fine but chilly weather with no sign of rain. I skipped the HCMF meet this week as that day was not so good with a damp start to the day. With that and the fact that the chosen pub, The Horse & Groom, is only .75 miles away from home made me decide to walk to join the usual group of regular attendees. I had a good time and after a couple of drinks walked home to cook my own lunch.

Gridironman

A Busy Week

Only managed four rides this week! Would have gone out again for a fifth on Saturday but was not feeling too bright so decided to have a rest day. The rides were all different.

1. Tuesday, a ride with The Winchester CTC. Riding my new E-bike Txiki as I needed a boost to enable me to keep up.
2. Wednesday, a more gentle ride in company with 3 other riders from the LoTSW group. (On Paris).
3. Thursday, a solo ride on Paris, to enjoy lunch with the HCMF at the Plough Inn, Itchen Abbas.
4. Friday, with Simon checking a route for the VCC's event on Sunday. Again riding Paris.

Read more and see my routes below:

Txiki hobnobbing with all those other road bikes.

The protracted negotiations over the choosing and selecting who was going to share with whom! The ladies taking our orders and delivering our choices were very patient!

We have been so lucky with the weather and as long as one was wrapped up well it has been good weather for us to cycle. 

I have been very pleased with Txiki who has enabled me to go out with a Winchester CTC group with whom I would struggle to keep up. 

Overall I have clocked up another 144 miles to bring my total for the year to date to 3,747. More importantly, I have had great fun doing those miles and sharing rides and meetings with many friends.

Gridironman.

Txiki brings a new dimension to my rides.

Another chapter in my cycling experiences. With my new E-Bike Txiki (Cheeky) bringing a new form to my favourite sport. I had two rides on him and one on Paris too. That was to show I can still hack it on a good road bike.

Tuesday 16th October.

Thursday 18th October.

I

Ian pretending he has led Caroline all the way up the hill.

A determined Caroline carrying Ian's luggage!

Simon in Period Clothing on his
Raleigh Record Ace in Original Paint.

Saturday 20th October.

Autumn Light & Shade.

Jackie sets off in pursuit of Anne
who has zoomed off on her E-Bike.

It has been a really interesting experience riding Txiki and I am very pleased with how well it has worked out. I have had the extra power there when needed to keep up with the faster folk and on the steep hills. Also, I have been quite comfortable riding with no assistance when on easier rides. With economical use, I can certainly have enough battery life for any of my normal length outings. The battery takes about 2 hours to recharge from 50%.

The weather has been very kind with plenty of autumn sunshine to bring out the best of colours in the countryside. Looks like it might go colder this week but with some fine weather too.

Gridironman.

A Momentous Week.

The serene River Test, near Longstock.

I have had a busy week with my bikes. First on Tuesday an excellent day out with the Pedallers, then on Thursday a solo ride to join the HCMF. Next, I sold Scottie with Simon's help to a young couple. The bike was just the right size for the young lady who seemed very pleased with her purchase.

Then on Friday, I went to Farnham to collect my newest and most expensive bike an Orbea Gain D30. A close relative of the one I mentioned last week. I looked at the Carbon M20 but decided that although it was a great bike it was too expensive and was more of a racing bike than the D30 which is an alloy frame with carbon forks and seat post, complete with attachment points for mudguards, so more practical. the running gear is Shimano 105 the same as I have on Paris. (Ultegra gear was £400 dearer). I was torn by the choice of colours and in the end, I opted for the traditional Euskadi colour orange. (Two ladies consulted were in favour of that choice!).

After the rain had cleared on Saturday, I took Txiki for a first ride. It was a success. I worked almost as hard as I usually do but finished up with an average speed of about 2 m.p.h. higher than normal. Did the circuit through Bishop's Waltham in about 30 mins less than before.

Here are my usual pocket reports of my rides:-

Tuesday 9th October.

Thursday 11th October.

Saturday 13th October.

Decided not to ride the Gridiron today as I didn't fancy getting drenched.

Don't forget you can look at my BIKES by clicking the Tab at the top. 


Ex? Gridironman

. 

Great Autumn Rides.

Tuesday 2nd October 2018.

A comparatively easy ride with 7 other Pedallers. A visit to the seaside.

Calshot Castle.

Thursday 4th October.

Sunday 7th October.

An excellent week for cycling for me with enough sunny days to be able to choose
I am seriously considering getting an E-bike to enable me to keep up with my faster chums. I will keep my other bikes if I do so I can ride those too when riding on my own or with slower groups. I don't want to be dependant on electric power.  I have had lots of advice, some of it conflicting! I'm off to test a couple of options this week. However, I have already fallen in love with this one:

Maybe it will disappoint. 
Paris is not in favour as he is feeling he might be made redundant.

Cheers, have a good week.

Gridironman.

September goes out with a flurry!

A mixed week of emotions. On Tuesday 25th I had a health scare, had chest pains in the night and again when I woke at 7.a.m. so phoned the surgery. They fitted me in for an immediate ECG and check-up by a doctor. Turned out to be nothing serious, but I was told I had done the right thing in seeking medical help. 

I had originally planned to ride with the LoTSW group but it was too late to do that so after lunch and a short siesta I did my own thing, a tea ride to Medstead/Four Marks.

I sat in the sunshine outside Nosh and had an interesting chat with a young lady motorcyclist. We compared steeds and talked about other bikes we had ridden. Maybe instead of an E-Bike I should go back to Motorcycling? 

The best thing about the ride was that I had no chest pains even when setting a couple of new PBs.

Thursday 27th September.

Saturday 29th September. 

Another beautiful autumn day:

Sunday 30th September.

Hope that October is as good for cycling as September has been.

Happy riding to all my readers.

Gridironman.

Dodging the rainy days.

I have had another relatively short week as regards miles but it has been rich in enjoyment. On Tuesday 18th I opted not to ride with the Pedallers as I felt their proposed ride options were probably too much for me. Instead, I did some gardening before going out late in the day for a ride to the Flower Pots. Another option on how to make it into a good ride.

On Thursday 20th I was joined by Richard for another good day out with an HCMF meet at the Buck's Head, Meonstoke.

This weekend I have decided not to ride as i didn't fancy getting wet!

Gridironman.

Rutland, Derbyshire & Yorkshire Dales.

Over the past week I have enjoyed my 5th Camper Car and Cycle mini holiday. Like the others this went extremely well despite the occasional hiccup. 

I set off on Saturday 8th September and drove in Dobbin to Lyveden in the NE corner of Northamptonshire. Here is a remarkable uncompleted Elizabethan mansion set in half-completed grounds. In 1595 building was started but when the owner died in 1605 building stopped and the skeleton has remained virtually untouched over the last 400+ years. 

I spent a couple of hours there enjoying the tour of the building and grounds. The weather was fine if a little breezy but it was very pleasant just to sit and admire the large orchard with its extensive range of apple and pear varieties. I had a light lunch too before continuing to the nearby campsite of Stamford via Oundle. When I arrived there the warden pointed out that they had no toilet facilities and that I might be better served at a different site. She kindly phoned an affiliated site at Greetham in Rutland and they agreed to take me. It was not far so I was there around 5.30 p.m. Once set up I had an early dinner in the onsite cafe before taking a stroll through the village. I was tempted to pop into one of the local pubs for a refreshing pint. By the time I got back to the site it was getting dark so I went to bed and listened to the radio for a while.

Sunday 9th September. Woke early and after breakfast I was  packed and away well before 9 o'clock

A short journey to Oakham where I filled up with petrol before parking in the village of Hambleton. Unloaded Paris and set off to circumnavigate Rutland Water.

Calke Abbey.

I was soon on my way once more in Dobbin heading for Hartington Hall YHA in Derbyshire. On my way for my tea break I diverted to Calke Abbey another NT property. More lovely walks and gardens to enjoy. Here are some of my pictures. 

It wasn't much further to the YHA hostel in Hartington where I arrived at 5 p.m. I was in the coach house with my own room and shower with a shared toilet nearby. Had almost sole use of the small lounge and kitchen complete with TV. Discovered I could get free WiFi in the main house. (YHA use Sky Cloud in their hostels). I made my own evening meal and enjoyed the TV, (La Vuelta).

Next Morning, Monday 10th September I had a full breakfast in the main dining room before setting off to explore the Dales on Paris. (Wondered if I had made the right choice of bikes! Paris did me proud!)

Paris meets some of the locals.

Migratory birds gathering. 

Dressed Well in Longnor.

Croation Building.

Part of the raised Railway Line path between Buxton and Ashbourne.

Dressed well in Hartington. 

Back at the hostel I had another snack for supper and watched TV, this time shared with others but as it was a Vuelta rest day no conflict of interest!

Tuesday 11th September dawned damp after overnight rain. Poor Paris had got a bit wet. It soon brightened up and we were on our way after a delicious full breakfast. Our first target for today was another NT property, Beningborough Hall, near York. Once again I was not disappointed, there were beautiful gardens and a very pleasant restaurant with outdoor seating where I had lunch. After a good wander around the estate, I went into the house to see a special exhibition about famous women. Included folk like JK Rowling, Iris Murdoch, Aimie Winehouse and Darcey Bussell. Very interesting.  

Aberdeen Angus Herd in the Park. beyond the haha, (Can you spot it?).

Pity I had no kids with me!

More autumn colours.

Beningborough Hall.

Time to move on once more, this time to Malham in West Yorkshire. I chose a rustic route, was rewarded with many great views of the Dales which begin as soon as you pass Ripon. Also benefitted from there being very little traffic. Soon arrived at Malham just as they closed the doors of the information centre! Shame I wanted to get a village guide but managed to get one at the hostel anyway. 

This hostel was smaller than the last one but the staff were just as helpful and friendly. This time I had a full ensuite room and Paris had the luxury of a bike shed. Just as well as he was destined to remain there while I went walking for a change.

The evening meal was excellent and so was breakfast the next morning, in fact, I gave away half of my cooked breakfast. I had asked for a small one but was told there was only one size! I had made friends with two other guys at dinner the previous evening and one took my excess food and had it wrapped up for his lunch!

I declined the offer to have it myself as I had alternatives in my store.

Fairy Dell. Can you spot another walker?

Janet's Foss.
Legend has it Janet lived behind the Foss (Waterfall).

One of the rocky sections of path.

Horned sheep. Local breed in the Pennines? 

Gordale Scar.

The friendly farmer who sold me coffee and cake.

Limestone Pavement above Malham Cove.

Lady walker who passed me climbing up the rocky "staircase".

Malham Tarn.

I was pretty tuckered by the time I got back to the hostel but a shower soon revived me and I enjoyed a late tea/supper of leftovers before retiring to the lounge to watch the Vuelta. Had a pretty good night once the noise of late banging of doors died away and was surprised not to feel too stiff when I woke in the morning.

Thursday 13th September. Time to head for home. I did however have a job to do first. My pal who was walking part of the Pennine Way wanted a lift to Malham Tarn as he had already walked there yesterday. So I took him, had to come back to the hostel to pick up a missing insole before taking him back to the Tarn again. Decided to head South after going over the dales to Settle. A terrifying descent into the valley about a mile long hill with a maximum of 22%  and an average of over 10 %. Halfway down I met two heavily laden tandems being pushed up the hill. I stopped to give them the good news that they still had another half a mile of pushing to do and told them how I admired them. One lady spotted Paris on the back of Dobbin and commented that I was taking the easy option. I agreed.
I only had to go about 40 miles to my cousin's home in Ripponden but it took me two hours, thanks to the many winding and steep lanes and horrendous traffic in Sowerby Bridge caused by the closure of the M62. 
I had time for a good natter and a perfect lunch before heading the remaining 250 miles home where I arrived at 8.30 p.m. thoroughly exhausted. I unpacked, had a snack and fell into bed slept quite well.

To sum up:

I had a most enjoyable break with lots of happy experiences. Most things went according to plan and I was very pleased with the combination of cycling and walking and the use of Caravan Club Sites and Youth Hostels with NT properties to add colour and interest to my meal stops.
Both the Derbyshire and Yorkshire Dales are very beautiful with both rugged and gentler landscapes. A few thousand miles of stone walls typify the area. I was pleased I'd made the effort to do some walking. Maybe I should get another dog?

I hope you enjoy reading this and looking at my photos. Please comment if you would like to.

All the best,

Gridironman.